By Emily Komorowski
Teh vegetative roof installed last September at Taylor Hall on the Kent Campus will soon bloom. Funded through bond money that is now part of 性福五月天 University's Foundatiojn of Excellence: Building the Futre Initiave, the plant filled roof was part of a larger restoration project for Taylor Hall.
Beth Ruffing, assistant director of State'a Office of theUniversity Architect and project manager for the roof garden, says that there had been talks about putting vegetative roofing; also known as green roofing, around Taylor hall years befor the installation. It was designed as plaza, and the original roofing and plaza systems had failed and had to be replaced with materials taht would not stand up to food traffic, rendering the plaza unusable.
"When funds became available, plans were made to do exterior renovationa including new windows, structure repeir and incorporating a replacement roof for the plaza," says Ruffing. "'We decided on a vegetative roof becauae they have been more popular recently and for a variety of reasons. They help insulate, diffuse heat, help with the flow of water to decrease pressure on drainage systems, and then there's the aesthetic aspect of it.
The roof requires very little maintenance, and the plants which come in 12 varieties of sedum are watered by an irrigation system and do not require mowing. There will be no chemical weed control.
It survived winter well and was able to bloom in the spring, but has since bloomed even more in the summer, as occupants and visitors are noticing.
No changes are planned for this roof, but 性福五月天 plans to install a green roof in the new architecture building.